Rio Ferdinand feels that Manchester United have given Ruben Amorim the backing he needs
Ruben Amorim took charge of Manchester United in November 2024, and the club immediately showed full support for him in the summer transfer window of 2025. The club spent £200 million to bring in players like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. It has also been reported that Manchester United are keen to beat Liverpool and Chelsea to Barcelona prodigy Pedro Fernandez.
The 2024-25 season was the worst in history for United as the team finished 15th in the Premier League. This result was a severe blow to the club. Meanwhile, the team has started the current season with one win, one draw and one loss and is currently in ninth place. However, a defeat to League Two’s Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup in August has raised questions about Amorim’s strategy.
Rio Ferdinand’s statement and the club’s stance:
Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, recently said that the Manchester United management stands firmly behind their manager, Ruben Amorim. He made it clear that the club’s recruitment team enforces Amorim’s decisions, and he has the final say on every player. Examples of this are the situation of Andre Onana and bringing in new goalkeeper Senne Lammens. According to Ferdinand, the club wants to show that Amorim’s decision is unquestionable and that United are moving forward based on this trust.
“I was happy that the manager is able to make up his mind on things and the recruitment team are executing behind that. They are backing the manager. If people were thinking there were any doubts about the club backing the manager or Amorim being at the football club, it’s only going to be his decision whether Onana stays or Lammens comes in. It’s a great sign in that respect.
“Whether you think Onana should have stayed or not is irrelevant. The manager has made up his mind. He played Bayindir early on and said he’s in because of football reasons. That was a big statement from the manager and his intentions of what he wanted to do with Onana.”
Quote via: Mirror
Pressure, expectations and the way forward:
Rio Ferdinand feels that Manchester United have given Ruben Amorim the backing he needs.
Rio Ferdinand stated that Manchester United fully backs manager Ruben Amorim
The pressure on Amorim is indeed huge. The board has given him a lot of funds and added key players like Sesko, Mbeumo and Cunha. Now the responsibility is completely on his shoulders to take the team back to its old glory. We have received some mixed results in the matches so far this season, and the embarrassing defeat against Grimsby Town showed that Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation is not compatible with the demands of the Premier League. Opposition teams take advantage of the rigidity of this formation and stop United’s attack.
Meanwhile, Amorim made the right decision to remove Andre Onana as his performances were repeatedly putting the team in trouble. The goalkeeper should give confidence, but Onana made consistent blunders and and that did affect the defence.
Lammens’ arrival will hopefully solve that problem to some extent. Still, the club needs a long-term, reliable number one. Meanwhile, there are reports that Manchester United are eyeing Portuguese star Ruben Neves, who could strengthen the midfield. It shows that the board is constantly trying to identify the weaknesses in the squad and improve them.
True success for United this season would be a top-four finish. Ensuring Champions League football is vital for both the club’s financial situation and global reputation. If that doesn’t happen, it will raise questions about both investment and trust. Supporters want real results on the pitch, not just promises. When the board backs you with decisions like the departure of Onana, then there is still trust in the manager despite reports of his future being under the scanner. Now, it is up to Amorim to repay the faith, or else there will be no excuses to fall back to.